Asschepoester door haar deugd en schoonheid / Wordt verheven tot de vorstelijke waardigheid / Cendrillon par sa vertu et sa beauté / Est élevée à la première dignité 1866 - 1902

Curator: Let's take a look at "Asschepoester door haar deugd en schoonheid / Wordt verheven tot de vorstelijke waardigheid / Cendrillon par sa vertu et sa beaut\u00e9 / Est \u00e9lev\u00e9e \u00e0 la premi\u00e8re dignit\u00e9," an etching by Franciscus Antonius Beersmans, dating from 1866 to 1902. Editor: It has the feel of an old comic strip. These little vignettes showing the Cinderella story. The line work looks like pen work almost, quite detailed considering it's an etching. It feels, maybe naively, mass produced, intended for the people. Curator: Absolutely, that gets at the heart of it. We must understand the rising literacy rates and print culture of the late 19th century to really appreciate the significance of this kind of visual storytelling. Printmaking democratized art. Instead of just aristocratic patronage or art designed for church, here’s a kind of popular consumption through narrative image making. Editor: Yes, you are absolutely correct; its accessible charm! But it also is a little rough around the edges. I am also wondering who would have created these things. Do we know anything about printmaking in workshops at this time? What were the skill hierarchies? Where was the production happening? Curator: That is harder to uncover in many instances, but that line of inquiry shifts our focus. Think too of the history of childhood and of the market forces around childhood entertainment. The image promotes particular narratives for young people, reinforces the patriarchy! It suggests appropriate behaviours, values. Editor: Of course, though I find the slightly crude quality sort of charming. Curator: True, its materiality clashes somewhat with the rigid fairytale message. Editor: Well, I feel like I learned more about popular print culture. Curator: Indeed, considering its broad societal context makes this small artwork all the more informative.